The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-04-15


A good many good and well meaning
people at the North try to make themselves
and the world believe that there is no pr'eiu-
dice in that section of the country against
negroes. The truth is negroes are not as
much respected Of the North as they are at
the South. There are a few people there
who pretend TO make no distinction between
white and black people, but they dc not sue
coed in inducing the masses TO follow their
example.
At the North the negroes are permitted
under the law few more privileges than
they have at the South, but the feeling
against admitting them to any sort of social
equality is as strong there as it is at the
South Among the Southern people there
is a kindly feeling for the negroes and
sncare desire to see them do well Northern
people, while they have much to say about
the rights Of negroes, have no liking for
them, and object TO being brought into rela-
tons of any kind with them. When such
men as Senators Sherman and Hoar, there
fore, pretend that there is an unreasonable
prejudice against negroes at the South they
are neither sincere nor honest. They are not
sincere because the prejudice is not unrea-
sonablc, and not honest because they intend
to create the impression that the prejudice
does not exist at the North
In the New York Tribune OF April 13
there is report Of a meeting OF the Ladies'
Health Protective Association in that city.
One of the ladies, who had been visiting the
public schools TO inquire into their condition
w,Gh respect to health, said that she found
that there existed the greatest prejudice
against the presence of ooiored children in
the white schools The white children OBJ
jeotcd to being placed in classes with them
and teachers taught them with repugnance.
There was a silence for q moment after this
statement and then Mrs +. J. Sparks the
President of the association, said, with EN-
phasis: 81 declare that am an abolitionist
and my father was before me, but | think
the law that permits black and white chill
dren to mingle together is an outrage on the
white children"
This remark was greeted witn hearty
marks of approval, and the opportunity for
expressing sentiments relative to mixed
schools being thus presented other members
of the association spoke their views freely
One was opposed to mixed schools on the
ground of health another declared she
would burn at the stake before she would
permit her children to attend mixed school;
a third thought it was dreadful that
white and black children were forced to
associate in the schools, as such association
might lead to marriages between the races,
and fourth objected to anything calculated
to deteriorate the white race. Others stated
their objections to the presence of colored
children in the schools, all of which showed
a deep-rooted prejudice against negroes.
1t is clear that mixed schools are not a
success in New York city. The white chill
dren are harmed by them because being
forced to mingle with the colored ones they
become possessed of bitter feeling toward
them that they otherwise would not have.
The colored children are harmed because
they are Inundated and angered by the
aversion of the white ones and the repug-
nance of the teachers.
What good purpose, then, is served by
mixing the white and colored children in
the schools! None whatever, and if by so
doing the school authorities aim to show
| their superiority to any race prejudice they
have only to read the report of the meeting
of the Ladies Protective Health Association
in the Tribune to see what a very grave
mistake they are making. 1t is better for
both whites and blacks that the color line
should not be obliterated. For the mainte-
nance of that line it is not necessary TO de
prive the blacks of any rights the laws emit
| tie them to, or to withhold from them the
respect which they may deserve on account
of their merits or attainments.